Silver Valley Sports: Storey of the Year

KELLOGG  –– It was 10 days ago when Colton Storey capped off a stellar season by winning the 113-pound championship at the 3A State Wrestling Championships in Pocatello, but the sophomore sensation already has his eyes on repeating – or even three-peating over the coming years.  

It’s all still very surreal for Storey, 16, who went into the tournament as its top seed, coasted through the first two rounds, but escaped with a sudden victory overtime win in the semifinals before dominating the championship.  

That semifinal win and tournament as a whole were almost a perfect encapsulation of Storey’s season. Going into state, he had a season record of 48 wins and just six losses, showing a willingness to take each match on the fly, sometimes even toying with his opponent until he decided it was time to put a bow on things.  

It’s not a cockiness thing either, Storey just exudes a nonchalant swagger that only adds to his mystique.  

Going into the championship against Clearwater Valley’s Peter Fabbi, he decided to leave no doubt.  

“I knew I could beat this kid,” Storey said. “I’d never matched up with him before, but we’d wrestled at a few of the same tournaments, so I knew I could beat him.”  

He was right.  

Storey knocked off Fabbi via technical fall, outscoring him 18-3 to secure Kellogg’s first championship since Jeager Hall’s win in 2023.  

“It felt pretty good,” Storey said. “All I could think was, ‘I just did it, I just won state.”  

Storey is a product of the Kellogg wrestling machine, which gets kids on the mats as early as four years old, develops them through middle school, and then sends them up to the high school ready for varsity-level competition.  

Storey credited his coaches, particularly Travis Berti, for being by his side since he was four and guiding him along the way. He was also quick to thank his brother Wyatt, a senior who finished fifth at 132 pounds this year, and his daily wrestling partner, Johnny Stovern. Stovern was the runner-up at 106 pounds. 

“We like to have fun, but we push each other,” Stovern said. “It gets really serious when it comes time to wrestle.”  

Kellogg Head Coach Scott Miller, who has watched Storey’s decade-plus development, knew that he had some serious talent within the lower weight classes, but has maintained that Storey is among the cream of the crop.  

“Colton is just exciting to watch,” Miller said. “He found a way to win his semifinal match, and he was so dominant in his championship match. He is our engine and still has so much to give to this team. I am so excited about his future. The best thing is that Colton is a well-rounded young man, is a blast to be around, and is just so coachable. I'm just so proud of him and thankful that he is a Wildcat.”  

Storey will have some decisions to make over the next few months as he determines the best course of action to win another championship, but even as the newly crowned king of the 3A 113-pound mountain, he’s still hungry.  

“It feels weird,” Storey said. “It doesn’t feel like the season should be over; I want to wrestle more.”  

This mentality lines up perfectly with Storey’s favorite part of wrestling. It’s not the heated practices, the daily grind, or even the long road trips with his teammates.

So what is Storey’s favorite part?  

“Winning,” he said with a smile.